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Rural Arizona Engagement

Public Hearing Announced for Proposed Active Management Area for Willcox Groundwater Basin

WILLCOX, AZ The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) will hold a public hearing to discuss the potential designation of an Active Management Area (AMA) for the Willcox Groundwater Basin in Cochise and Graham Counties. The hearing will provide residents an opportunity to share feedback and learn about efforts to protect the basin’s water resources.


The hearing is set for Friday, November 22, 2024, at 1:00 P.M. at the Willcox Community Center. It follows an earlier session on September 26, which addressed the challenges facing the Willcox Basin, including falling water levels and subsidence.


“Rural people expect and deserve to know that their water resources are being managed for their benefit,” said Tom Prezelski, Senior Policy Advisor for Rural Arizona Engagement (RAZE). “These historic first steps toward creating an Active Management Area give Willcox the same water security that Tucson and Phoenix have.”


The Willcox Basin, a key agricultural region, faces a serious groundwater crisis. An AMA would introduce stricter monitoring and regulation for long-term sustainability.


Antonio Ramirez, Interim Political and Policy Director for RAZE, emphasized, “ I applaud the Arizona Department of Water Resources for taking the first step to regulate the Willcox Basin because we are running out of time to save it from depletion. The best way to understand sharing groundwater is like sharing a bank account, except, unlike a bank account where you can check your balance and see what’s being spent, you can’t actively manage your groundwater balance outside of an AMA.”


The AMA designation is essential to address ongoing threats like dry wells and subsidence following a successful citizen-driven AMA petition in the Douglas Basin in 2022.


Rural Arizona Action urges community members to attend and engage in the public comment process. The Wilcox community can submit written submissions until November 22 at 5 pm.


How to Submit Comments:

Sharon Scantlebury, Docket Supervisor - Arizona Department of Water Resources

1110 W. Washington, Suite 310

Phoenix, AZ 85007

(602) 771-8686 (fax)

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